The term Emotional Branding was coined about 15 years ago by Marc Gobe’, an award-winning marketing expert who, unfortunately, passed away earlier this year. Gobe’ defines Emotional Branding as “this amazing relationship and connection people have with some brands.”

Interestingly enough, he also added that in his view the brands didn’t always love people back – and as a result, the trusted relationship and loyalty people had with their favorite brands was fading away over time.

How Emotional Branding Works

Even though the term Emotional Branding has only been around for a short time, there’s no question that it’s been used in advertising for many years. Think of the Coca-Cola ad, “Coke is It.” No one really knows what “it” is, but “it” is has been coercing the world to buy their product for decades. Consider the old Marlboro man, who made viewers equate smoking Marlboro cigarettes with rugged manliness – and subsequently won over the minds of many American males during his heyday. Those ads (in fact, most ads) play on your emotions in one way or another. The same is true with effective automotive advertising.

Ads for luxury cars typically create the feeling of I Want All Those Fancy Bells and Whistles in My Car When I Drive to Work! I Deserve Them! Meanwhile, the more mainstream car commercials offer (among other things) attractive payment options. If you think that isn’t an emotional response, think again … because its intention is to bring about the feeling of excitement that yes, you can afford that shiny new car after all, and save money in the process – and feel great about it afterwards.

When Emotional Branding works to its fullest, the end result is a customer completely in your corner. You obviously want as many of those as you can get, because in effect they become a sort of “evangelist” for your company.

Customer Engagement

A recent Gallup article put it very well. It cites four “Levels of Customer Engagement.” First comes Confidence: A company can be trusted and keeps its promises. Next is Integrity: A company treats its customers fairly and stands behind its products and services. Third is Pride: The customers feel appreciated by that company, and they’re proud of their personal association with the brand itself. Finally, it escalates into pure, unadulterated Passion: The brand has become essentially irreplaceable to the customer, and it represents a perfect fit between the brand and the customer.

So you see, whether you’re selling automobiles or widgets, Emotional Branding always has its important place in the process. If your dealership’s advertising persona is stale and uninspiring, give JKR Automotive Advertising a call at (321) 397-0777 and ask for Eric Tigner. We’ll have your audience taking notice of your advertisements in no time, and you’ll have an automotive agency giant in your corner.